Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to an alleged kickback scheme. The indictment accuses her of obtaining thousands of dollars in cash from a staff member in exchange for a substantial bonus.
Fernandes Anderson, 45, faces five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. She was arrested and is scheduled to appear in federal court today.
"Elected officials have a duty to serve the public with the highest integrity and not to abuse positions of trust for personal gain," stated United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. "By allegedly orchestrating a scheme to funnel public funds into her own pocket, City Councilor Fernandes Anderson betrayed the trust of her constituents and violated her fiduciary duty as a public servant."
Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, remarked, "The FBI arrested Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson today for allegedly orchestrating a kickback scheme in which she stole thousands of dollars in taxpayer money for herself." Cohen emphasized that using public office for personal gain is a crime and noted the efforts made by law enforcement to combat public corruption.
Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office, commented on the arrest: "Tania Fernandes Anderson was elected to serve the citizens of Boston, but today we arrested her for allegedly orchestrating a kickback scheme to enrich herself through the misappropriation of city funds."
Fernandes Anderson represents Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway, and part of the South End. She was first elected in November 2021 and re-elected in November 2023.
Court documents reveal that Fernandes Anderson hired two immediate family members as salaried employees despite legal prohibitions against such hires. This employment ended around August 2022 after intervention by authorities. In early 2023, facing financial difficulties including an outstanding $5,000 civil penalty from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission, she allegedly arranged with Staff Member A—a relative but not an immediate family member—for extra pay through bonuses with an agreement that part would be returned to her.
On May 3, 2023, Fernandes Anderson allegedly instructed processing bonus payments totaling $13,000 for Staff Member A—exceeding other staff bonuses combined—without disclosing their arrangement. It is claimed that following withdrawals by Staff Member A at Santander Bank totaling $10,000 over several dates in late May and early June 2023, $7,000 was given back to Fernandes Anderson at City Hall.
The charges carry potential penalties including up to 20 years imprisonment per wire fraud count and up to 10 years for theft concerning federal funds programs. Fines may reach $250,000 per charge. Sentencing will follow U.S. Sentencing Guidelines if convicted.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Levy alongside FBI SAC Cohen and IRS Acting SAC Wlodyka. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao are handling prosecution duties.
These allegations remain unproven until any conviction beyond reasonable doubt occurs within court proceedings.